Papua PON Chance to Scout Talented Athletes: Sports Minister

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Sports and Youth Affairs Minister, Zainudin Amali, has said that the Papua National Games (PON) XX could be an opportunity for talent scouting and finding young athletes for the national team.

“This PON is also counted as a talent scouting event, we will see young athletes, we are monitoring them. For example in the rock climbing branch, there are senior athletes who have often won in the championship, but can be defeated by the young ones," Minister Amali said during an online discussion of Papua PON, accessed from here on Wednesday.

He said he hopes that the biggest sporting event in the country will not only be a four-year agenda, but also become a place for monitoring athletes who can be encouraged to become national players in the future.

"We hope that PON is not only a four-year agenda, but it must function as a talent scouting (platform) as well. We will push the young athletes to the national team," he added.

He said he expected the Papua PON XX to meet the goals of the national sports design (DBON).

This sports design is a master plan document that contains the direction of national sports coaching and development policies that have the vision and mission of "Realizing a Healthy Indonesia, with Superior Character and World Achievement", he added.

The sports design has been stated in the Presidential Regulation (Perpres) Number 86 of 2021 concerning National Sports Design, he said.

"After PON and National Para Games (Peparnas), we will socialize the DBON. I also ask the Indonesian Journalists Association (PWI) to help us work together to succeed this plan," he added.

A total of 7,066 athletes are participating in the Papua PON XX, which are featuring 37 sports branches, 56 sports disciplines, and 679 matches.

Read: Sports Minister on 29 COVID-19 Cases during PON Papua: 'Games Continue'

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